It seem like Microsoft just gets worse and worse at supporting anyone who has some computer knowledge, and caters more and more to the computer illiterate.
This does make sense, most people don't want to have to know how their computer works, they just want to turn it on and go at it.
Unfortunately that's not always possible.
They haven't reached a point where they are 100% reliable yet.
I always have at least 2 system images, one that I have used and know will work, (no matter how old it is).
I have one I keep up to date by creating a new one and deleting the one is will replace once it's done every month or so.
If the recent one doesn't work I at least have the old one I've used as a backup.
I recently used my recent backup to go back from 8.1 to 8.
It took about an hour and a half, and as Lorenkj1 said, I was biting me nails all the way, but it did work.
This now becomes my new backup, backup!
I know, and I am not pleased by it either. They are still kind of a snotty attitude company, in all things they do. I remember the worst OS they made ever. Me! To my knowledge it never even had a single update in the under one year they sold it. Complete garbage! And they really do not care that much about customer relations, if they ever did.
I used Paragon Backup and Recovery, I have used it in the past and so far it has always worked.
Mike